Warm Winter
by ValGrey02
Summary: MerDer AU- Meredith hates Winter. But when Derek Shepherd, her bestfriend are around, it somehow fades. What exactly is this feeling? COMPLETED
1. Best Friends

**_So this is My second Multi chapter AU. I've finished writing this story since this was an old story of mine and that means that i can post regularly and this story have 7 chapters. I really do hope you guys like it! Please Review, like, follow, anything._**

 ** _I'll be waiting for it!_**

 ** _Valerie_**

 **W A R M W I N T E R**

Out of all of the four seasons that existed, winter was the one she hated the most.

While Izzie had corrected her ("Hate is a strong word,"the perky girl had said), she stood by her use of the word. She.hated.winter.

Meredith hated how cold it was, the snow, the cold, how there was nothing fun to do, and the cold. To help her withstand the freezing temperatures, she strategically bundled up in layers to keep her warm and to peel off whenever it was too hot.

That particular day was no different as she trudge along to her anatomy lecture. The lecture theatre it was held in had terrible heating that was pretty much nonexistent and shr were bundled up in her armor: a big gray checked scarf that also served as a blanket (one of the many she owned), an oversized dark blue button-down shirt, a black knit cardigan that was larger than her by two sizes, her trusty black leggings, and a warm pair of dark brown lace-up boots. A navy double-breasted coat topped off her cozy look, which she deemed to be practical and cute.

The walk from her apartment to campus is short, fortunately enough, and she get to the lecture with ten minutes to spare. As expected, her best friend, Derek Shepherd, is already seated at the seats they both usually occupy, with his backpack reserving her spot and two takeaway cups in his hands.

Derek was her best friend and whom she fondly referred to as Der. They've known each other since her daycare years, maybe even before but her earliest memory didn't go that far. She were thick as thieves while growing up, getting tangled into all sorts of mischief together. Derek was her _person_ , he knew all of her secrets and fears and worries, and she knew his. He was also a supportive figure in her life, having been with her every step of the way to adulthood, and someone she can always lean on.

So when the two of them got your acceptances into the same university, no one was really surprised that they were still going to be glued together as adults. While she was studying Cardiothoracic surgery and Derek was aiming to be a neurosurgeon, you both had some required classes and electives that overlapped with one another's – such as her 8:30 anatomy class.

Derek notices her approaching figure and he flashes a grin to her direction while she waddle past his knees to get to her seat and place his bag on the ground. "Good morning," he chirps in greeting,a littletoo happily for an (ungodly) 8:30 lecture.

"Morning," Meredith answer, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up against her seat and unravelling her blanket scarf to wrap around her shoulders.

Derek watches her unpack her clipboard and pen from her backpack, the corners of his lips twitching a little bit. "Are you really that cold?" He asks. "It'snotthat bad out."

Meredith narrow her eyes at him. "Can it, Mr. Radiator. Not all of us have high body temperatures like you."

He laughs in response, handing her one of the cups in his hands. "Here's your usual, Mer."

She can smell the aroma of coffee from within the cup; there's a PM scribbled on the side and she immediately decipher that to stand for peppermint mocha, her usual winter drink (its availability during winter was the only redeeming factor about the season). "Thanks, Der. I knew I could count on you." She smile.

Derek gives her another grin, his eyes curving into half moons as he extends a hand to ruffle the top of her head. She protest, mourning her once carefully brushed hair, and glare at him in response.

Ten minutes into the lecture and she huddle into her scarf. The heating was pretty much nonexistent in the lecture hall again and she make a mental note to ask the prof to send a word in to get the system fixed. While she were wearing layers, it was still frigid and made her writing hand stiff despite busily writing notes. Beside her, Derek doesn't seem to mind the lack of warmth in the hall, and she internally curse him for having a naturally high body temperature. In contrast to her layers, Derek wore a simple hoodie, dark jeans, and a black coat with buttons was hung on his seat. Ever since they were children, Derek never wore elaborate layers of clothing and he rarely got sick.

Meanwhile, she were the opposite and again, she curse his naturally high body temperature while shooting him a grumpy look.

Derek notices her glaring at him and he scrunches up his nose playfully, which shd ignore by returning her attention back to the prof's presentation slides. She was about to take a sip of her drink when Derek leans over to drape his coat over her lap with a gentle smile on his face.

Meredith adjust the coat so she feels snug and she turn to him, mouthing the wordthanks.

Derek responds by extending his left hand, pinching her right cheek affectionately, still smiling gently.

 **W A R M W I N T E R**

Weekends meant that Meredith was free to roll into her blanket burrito and stay in it for as long as she wants and that particular weekend was no exception. With her work finished early, she was free to catch up on the dramas she had been saving during the busy week. And so she was in bed, rolled up in her favorite lavender comforter with her laptop, intently watching an episode of a weekly mystery drama she was a fan of.

The detectives in the drama are inching closer to catching the culprit when her cellphone rings, taking her attention away from the show. She grumble, pausing the episode and proceed to tap on the screen of her phone to take the incoming call.

"Hello?" She ask, tapping the screen again to activate its speaker phone mode.

"Hi Mer," Derek's velvety voice greets from the other side of the line. "Are you busy?"

"Busy watching my mystery drama, yes. I'm about to find out if Detective Han and Detective Jeon are going to catch the culprit from last week's episode of On The Run."

He laughs. "I'll take that as a no. Do you want to go out shopping with me?"

Meredith prop herself up on her elbows to glance out the window. As usual, it was gray and miserable out – nothing out of the ordinary for the season. "You're asking me inthisweather?"

A whine comes from his end and she can practically see him sticking his lower lip out, one of his usual tricks in his book whenever he wanted her to go outside with him. "Come onnnnn.Please?"

"Why don't you go ask Mark or Alex or something?"

"Everyone's studying or they're out."

"Oh. Well. That's too bad, I guess."

Derek whines again and she's pretty sure that he's making puppy eyes as he's on the phone with her at that moment. "I'll buy you whatever food you want to eat." He offers.

She wants to hold her ground and say no. But the promise of free food lures her in and shr curses herself for being weak towards the offer. Such is the weakness of a university student, really, especially one who was pre-Med. "Fine. Give me thirty minutes to get ready."

Derek's obviously grinning into the phone in victory as he replies. "Okay! Let me know when you're finished and I'll come get you."

The phone call ends and she groan, unrolling herself out of her cozy blanket burrito. Derek owed her, big time. Meredith wonder if he would be able to buy her meat for dinner.

Derek pulls up in his cherished black car at the sidewalk by her apartment building and she make a beeline for the vehicle door once she spot it, immediately opening and closing it shut once she were seated at the front passenger seat. She's bundled up in her warmest layers again, hat and scarf and all, and she grumble while buckling her seatbelt.

"Nice to see you too," he starts and she scrunch her nose.

"I can't believe you got me to come out in this ungodly weather," she answer and Derek laughs while he shifts the car from park to drive, continuing on the journey.

"You're always cold. Maybe you should start bringing a portable heater with you wherever you go." Derek suggests.

"I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not but I really think that's a good idea, to be honest. Now where are we going shopping? Please tell me it's indoors."

He grins mischievously. "We're going to our usual place. There's something I want to check out."

Meredith groan at his response. Their "usual place" was an outdoor shopping district with brick-and-mortar branches of various retailers and several large shopping malls. It was a nice place for shopping – when it was warm and sunny out. There were many attractions on the street, such as food vendors and purveyors of handmade, local items that tourists and locals alike examined intently.

In this chilly and gray day, she wasn't quite looking forward to being exposed to the elements while wandering around with Derek.

The drive to downtown goes surprisingly smoothly, despite it being the weekend and the roads being busy since everyone was out enjoying their free time. Derek manages to find an empty spot at a side street that was already mostly full with parked cars, forcing him to parallel park, and she thank the stars that she wasn't the one driving.

It takes two tries for the car to successfully fit with plenty of space and he lets out an accomplished "whoop!" upon placing the car back intopark.

"Only two tries," she remark, impressed, as she unbuckle her seatbelt. "That's pretty good."

Derek pretends to look offended. "I hope you're not downplaying my successful parallel parking."

Meredith reach over to pinch his cheek fondly. "Of course not. It would've probably taken me four tries."

The side street Derek had parked at was a short walk to the street where the stores were located. She stuff her hands into the pockets of her coat, following after her friend as he leads the way to the first store he was interested in. She reach the intersection, waiting for the crossing lights to activate and she shudder into her scarf.

"Damn it, it's freezing," she grumble beside Derek.

He chuckles, looping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. As usual, Derek radiates warmth and smells like his favorite cologne; he smelled fresh yet woodsy, and _Derek-y,_ and it was so comforting. "Still cold?" He asks softly, looking down at you.

She lean her head on his shoulder. "A bit."

The crossing light turns on and the both of them follow after the people ahead of them and she feel Derek giving her shoulder a warm, comforting squeeze as he keeps her close to him.


	2. Beloved

**_i only get 1 review from the last chapter (Thankyou Patsy) and 1 follow from Hitam1 (thanks) it's sad, really._**

A string of curses formulate in her head as she grumpily cross the school grounds, snow crunching beneath her boots. It had snowed overnight and it was cold enough that it stayed on the ground, rendering the paths slippery. Meredith still had quite a bit of a walk to go; she had planned to go to a nearby coffee shop outside of campus to get some work done – but she kind of regret her decision a bit due to the state of the roads and pathways.

Her initially fast pace slows down after feeling unsteady and she cautiously walk on the snow-covered quad that used to be vivid green with grass. With her focus directed to the ground, she didn't notice a figure sneaking up behind her, pulling her into a familiar one-armed hug. Meredith let out a yell, almost losing het balance as her right foot nearly slides forward on the snow from the surprising additional weight. The figure manages to keep her upright, laughing cheerily at her side.

She whip her head around angrily, glaring at Derek. "What the hell, Derek Shepherd!"

Derek's eyes are curving into their usual half-moons as he grins at you. "Hi Mer!"

Meredith wriggle out of his grip before unleashing a barrage of angry hits on his arms, making him yelp in pain. "Ugh! You're a big ass! I can't believe you!"

"Ow!What are you –ow!"

"You know what you did!" She huff, crossing her arms on her chest. She gives him another glare before whirling around, stomping away from him.

Derek jogs after her with another robust laugh, arm looping with hers. "Aw, don't be mad!"

"Leave me alone, you big ass."

"You know I love you!"

That was Derek's classic trick in the book whenever he got into trouble with her and she wasn't going to fall for it. "You say that all the time, you liar."

Derek takes hold of her by her shoulders, whirling her around to face him. His hands move to her cheeks and he pulls on them, making her yell in protest. "Because it's the truth!" He announces, smiling.

Meredith stick her tongue out. She's heard that too many times over the past few years and he used it as a way to get her to warm up to him again. "Sure, whatev."

Derek pulls her into another one-armed hug; arm around her shoulders as they both resume walking across the quad. "What are you up to today?" He asks. "Can I come along?"

"I'm going to Pinwheel and no, you can't come." She answer, the last bit with feigned annoyance.

"Aww…pleaaaaaase?"

She sigh, her cold façade already cracking. She never really won against him and he truly knew that – the whines and the puppy eyes always made her give in. Meredith turn to him, making a face. "Fine."

His expression lights up as he grins and she can't help but smile back. "Yay! I'll buy you whatever you want when we get there."

"Really? I want a latte and a cake."

"Sounds good to me" Derek imitates a famous hand gesture. "After all, I'm genie for your wish!"

Her face contorts into a disgusted expression and he laughs vigorously.

The coffee shop close to campus is called Pinwheel Coffee Tea, a rustic but modern establishment that occupied two floors to accommodate the many students that made up its clientele. Its interior is mainly wood and the colors muted neutrals to create a chic yet calming ambience. It's a bit busy considering it's slightly past one in the afternoon but there's an empty table with two chairs beside the wide windows and an outlet for electronics. _Thank Goodness,_ she thought. Derek sends her off to sit down while he lines up with both orders and she speed walk to the vacant window-side table.

After she set up her laptop, Derek returns to sit at the seat across hers, shrugging off his coat and scarf.

"They're bringing our orders over," he announces and she gives him a thumbs-up of approval. "Good job, DerBear." She praise, ruffling the top of his head and eliciting a scowl from him, after calling him by his childhood name

The once-empty table gets covered with her laptops, texts, and notes as she and Derek get started on their respective assignments. The orders arrive shortly after to join the spread on the wooden surface and the both of them are deep in concentration while eating pastries and drinking specialty coffee drinks.

Two hours later, the once-full cups and plates become empty and pushed to the side, just as fresh snow starts to drift past the windows. Meredith glance out momentarily to take a break from working and she groan. "Oh man, it's snowing again."

Derek looks up from his laptop. "Oh. I had a feeling."

She make a face, returning her attention back to her computer. "Ugh, it's gonna be a pain to walk home in this weather."

"I'll drive you home," Derek answers. "No need to worry about that."

"Really?"

"Of course. There's no way I'm letting my beloved best friend walk home in that weather."

Meredith grin, reaching out to pinch Derek's cheek fondly. "Thanks, Der!"

He ruffles the top of her hair and for once she doesn't mind. "Any time, Meri." Derek answers warmly, a smile on his lips.

 ** _A/N I'm having so much fun writing their friendship. I always imagine them teasing each other and it's really refreshing and so much fun! Please kindly review. I like to read your opinions!_**


	3. Empty

**Disclaimer. I don't own Grey's Anatomy. If i do i would probably make an episode about my story. eh**

 **W A R M W I N T E R**

Her beloved slow cooker on her small dining table has been working hard for the last 3 hours while she sit on her bed, cross-legged with her anatomy textbook balanced on her lap. Another cold day called for one of her favorite recipes she learned from Derek's mom: beef stew. There was still another fifteen or so minutes left until her stew was ready and since she had run out of chores after a productive day, she decided to get ahead on her textbook chapters while waiting for her meal to finish cooking.

The sound of her ringtone interrupts her reading and she grabs her phone, placed on her desk, before tapping the screen to answer the call in speaker phone. "Hi Der."

"Hi Meri," Derek greets. "Are you at home right now? Mom gave me that cookbook you wanted to borrow from her."

"Yeah, I am! Are you coming over?"

"Yup. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Okie, I'll see you then!"

He hangs up and Meredith toss her phone back on the desk, returning her attention back to her textbook. Ten minutes later, her apartment's buzzer goes off and she shove her book off her lap to hop off the bed and open the door. Derek grins at her when the door swings open, dressed in a big jacket and his usual pair of ripped jeans (she and his mom both had once jokingly threatened to throw them into the garbage once). There's a hardbound book under his arm and he holds it up as he enters her tiny apartment.

"Oh, something smells good," he comments, sniffing the air while closing the door behind him. "What's for dinner?"

"Beef stew!" She chirp. "Is that the cookbook I asked from Mom?"

Derek hands over the book and she flip through the pages. Derek's Mom has been her 'Mom' taking care of her since she were a kid and more now since Ellis has passed away leaving her tons of money for her education. She had taught Meredith how to cook she had promised to lend her one of her dozen cookbooks, which was now in her hands. Meredith were pretty excited to read through it; the photos were absolutely high quality and just glancing at them made her hungry.

Meredith smile at Derek. "Thanks for bringing this over. Do you want to stay over for dinner? The stew should be done soon."

He beams at the offer. "You know I can't say no to your cooking."

Derek proceeds to take off his shoes and his coat as the two of them head to her small dining room consisting of a table and matching two chairs as part of a dining set. He drapes his coat over the chair he usually occupies whenever he visits before turning to her. "Do you need me to set the table?"

Meredith nod and Derek makes his way to her kitchen automatically, already familiar with the layout of her kitchen and where she stored her kitchenware after visiting her place numerous times. While he's busily setting up the table, the built-in timer of her slow cooker buzzes to announce that the beef stew was finished cooking. Once she open the lid, steam wafts out of the pot and its aroma was absolutely mouth-watering.

Meredith head to her kitchen counter where her rice cooker warms up her rice, scooping out enough for two plates before bringing them to the table. The initially bare table now has chopsticks, two bowls, spoons, and glasses of water to accompany dinner and she sit down, handing Derek his own plate.

"Beef stew and rice?" He asks and Meredith raise a brow at him while she ladle contents of the stew into two empty bowls.

"Why, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing!"

It's silent while they dig into the hearty meal, except for the sounds of their forks and spoons making contact with the ceramic bowls. Meredith look up just as Derek takes a sip of his water.

"How is it?" She ask, her staple question whenever he tried out something she made.

He cracks a smile, giving her a thumbs-up of approval. "Great as always."

"Thanks for dinner," Derek says appreciatively, adjusting the hood on his jacket. It was slightly past seven in the evening by the time they had finished cleaning the remnants of dinner. Meredith had insisted for Derek to bring home some leftovers since there was quite a lot left in the slow cooker but he declined, saying that there was plenty of food at home and it was her dinner to begin with.

She smile. "No worries. If there's anything you want to eat that Mark and You can't make, let me know and I'll make it for you."

He pauses to think. "Well," Derek starts. "There is something I want."

"Oh? What is it? Maybe I know how to make it."

"I want your love!" He sings, his thumb and index finger forming a heart. Meredith roll her eyes, lightly pushing him to the direction of the door.

"Oohkay, it's time for you to go home now," she answer and Derek laughs heartily. He opens up his arms for her customary departure hug and she wrap her arms around him before giving him a squeeze. They both pull away at the same time and she step back with a smile.

"Bye Der, careful on your way back."

Derek reaches out to kiss her cheek affectionately. "See you tomorrow, Mer."

He leaves shortly after their exchange and as she walk back into the main room, the tiny apartment returns to feeling larger and emptier than it actually was.

 ** _Reviews meant everything to me._**


	4. Realization

Meredith glare at Derek as she's at the front passenger seat, watching him cheerily hum a song from _The Clash_ with his attention on the road in front of him. From the back seat, Mark notices the turn of her head and he laughs.

"Give it up, you're stuck with us now," the Plastics student says.

Meredith slump in her seat, sulking. "I hate you guys. Mark, you're getting coal if I get your name for the gift exchange this year."

Mark sounds offended. "What? Why me? It should be Derek."

Derek shoots Mark a surprised look through the rearview mirror. "Me? What did I do?"

Cristina shakes his head, not quite buying the boy's reaction. "You're done for by the time we get out of this car."

She nod in agreement. "You are exactly right that someone is done for once we get to our destination."

Mark, Alex, and Cristina snicker from the back at the emphasis and Derek sends a pout to her direction, which she expertly ignore. "Eyes on the road, please." She order, snapping her fingers.

"Okayyyyyyy."

The four of them were crammed into Derek's car while the other guys from their Pre-Med classes were divided into other vehicles. Derek and Mark had showed up at her door early in the morning while she was half-asleep after a long mystery drama marathon from the day before and had told her (more like ordered, really) to get dressed to go out with them – with breakfast provided courtesy of Mark's new paycheck as a part-time Butler.

What they didn't tell her was that they were goingice skatingoutsideuntil you were all on a speaker phone call with Mingyu, who had spilled the beans by accident, as the car sped down the highway to your destination. This outdoor ice skating venue was big (a quick online search said that it apparently it occupied 1,900 square meters) and popular – it was an hour drive from where you lived and had hundreds of people visiting daily, hence the early departure in the morning. The venue also had various food stalls and displays and events to help encourage people to go outside and enjoy the winter-themed festivities.

The boys all knew that she hated going outside during the season. Yet this was their attempt to help her get some activity and "exposure to the outside world", as George called it, instead of letting her stay in her blanket burrito at home.

(Meredith firmly believe that George has no right to tell her that when he and Preston sleep half the day away in their weeks off.)

When Derek's car pulls up to the parking lot, the vicinity is still relatively bare and he manages to find a vacant space between Izzie's and George's vehicles. Once the car was safely parked, all passengers and drivers from all vehicles pile out at once. Meredith shiver into her red plaid blanket scarf as everyone makes their way to the entrance of the venue.

"Aww, you made it!" Cristina, who was with George's group, chirps upon seeing her and she extends a hand to pat her shoulder playfully.

"Well, I was forced to go," she correct. "I was promised breakfast and here I am, out in the cold."

Derek immediately finds his way to her side, linking his arm with hers. "Don't be so negative, ice skating will be fun."

"Until I break my neck."

"You won't!" Derek assures, smiling down at her. "I'll be with you the whole time, I promise."

Meredith finds his words a bit reassuring but she poke his chest with her finger. "You better or else I'll tell your mom that you're being mean to me."

"Hey!"

There's an few dollars entrance fee that covers skate rental and shoe lockers, which Derek covers for her since he was partially responsible for getting her out of her apartment. After everyone changes into their skates and stores their shoes away, the group makes their way to the relatively empty skating rink. The others split up, leaving her and Derek to form a pair and he leads the way near the solid barricades of the rink.

"Here's what we'll do," he begins. "We'll stay close to here until you feel more comfortable, okay? I'll help you out."

Meredith nod; she had confidence in Derek guiding her since he'd done this numerous times growing up. He turns around to face her, holding his arms out. Meredith place her hands on his arms and she begin to take her first wobbly steps on the ice.

Derek places his hands on her elbows as he slowly skates backwards to pull her along with him. She stare down at the ground intently, pushing her legs to glide on the ice. She doesn't know how long the two of them skate like so until Derek speaks up.

"Look up," he suggests. She does as she's told and find him beaming. "Look where we are now."

She turn her head around and blink. She had been so intent on looking down at the ground that she didn't notice her progress with Derek. From starting at the beginning, she had (miraculously) made it almost halfway around the rink. She look up and stare at Derek with wide eyes and he smiles at her with his bright blue eyes.

"What do you think? It's not that bad, isn't it?"

"Well…" she start. She haven't fallen down or broken any body parts yet so maybe that was a good sign. "I guess not."

"Here, try it on your own." Derek offers. He loosens his hold on her elbows and she yelp in panic, her grip on his arms tightening.

"Derek!" Her voice rises almost to a wail and he laughs.

"It's okay! I'm kidding, see, look I'm holding on to you again." Derek's hands are on her elbows again and she muster up a glare at him.

"You are definitely getting coal for the exchange gift if I get your name," she huff.

He lets out another laugh at that statement. "Are you rea –whoa!"

Derek's eyes widen in panic as he wobbles and she gasp, her hands immediately moving on their own to grab him in an attempt to help stabilize him on his feet. The distance between the two of them grows smaller and she blink at the suddenly close his face was.

In the 20 years she's known Derek, she never really noticed how handsome he was.

Maybe it was because she always saw him practically every day that she never realized how well defined his features were and how good looking he really is. He looks down at her with bright blue eyes, raven curls falling on his forehead, and his lips slightly parted in surprise. It sinks in to her that the Dorky little boy from her childhood had grown up to be someone undeniably attractive – So that explains all the glare and glances stolen and given to them and you whenerver they walk together.

"Gotcha," Derek breathes and she gape at him.

"W-what?"

"I going to test you for part two of our skating lesson."

Meredith cast him a confused look. "Which is…?"

The corners of his lips twitch upwards. "Learning how to fall."

 **W A R M W I N T E R**

 ** _she realized something wohooo. aren't you exited about their romance? cuz i am. I'm currently writing the last chaoter and the epilogue._**

 ** _Review make my day!_**


	5. Distracted

Unfortunately for her, end-of-semester work and finals occupy most of her time. Or maybe it's a blessing in disguise, since the "incident" kept returning to mind unless she was busy doing something else. She didn't know why her mind kept replaying how close Derek's face was to hers and she didn't know why it flustered her. Her heart would pound whenever the memories resurfaced and heat would rush to her cheeks. It was unusual and she wanted to know why she was reacting that way.

Maybe it was because her best friend was actually handsome and dreamy and she never really realized it throughout these years.

Or maybe this was all an effect of the constant exposure to the winter weather.

(She vow to never leave her blanket burrito ever.)

The last final exam Meredith has scheduled is anatomy, which is unfortunately held on the last day of the exam period. As much as she's unhappy, her exam schedule is fortunately spread out this year, which is the price she have to pay. Meredith is hunched over her desk when her phone vibrates and she absent mindedly pick up the incoming call without reading the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Meri! How's the studying for anatomy going?"

Meredith almost drop her phone upon hearing Derek's voice. It's been two weeks since she's seen him in person upon the end of the last class for anatomy. Since it was exam period, she didn't really have time to go out other than to go for quick grocery runs. She still communicated with him through messages but hearing his voice again was different.

"Oh! Um…it's okay. I think I'm prepared for the final."

"Really? That's good," he comments. "Do you want to study for the final together?"

Her eyes grow wide. "Uh…right now?"

"Yeah, if you're free? Everyone else here is pretty much done so it's pretty lively and it's getting hard to stu –" He pauses as a loud EDM tune grows louder in the back and she can hear him yell. "Mark Sloan, turn it down!Not all of us are done exams, you know!"

Meredith giggle before pausing – the memory of his face being close to hers flashes again and she feel her heart pound in her chest. But before she realize it, she blurt out a, "sure!"

Derek's voice is cheery on the other side of the line. "Great! I'll see you in a bit."

The call ends and Meredith toss her phone on her bed, a flush on her cheeks upon realizing what was about to happen. Meredith begin to relocate her laptop, textbooks, and stacks of notes for the anatomy exam to the dining table. In an attempt to occupy herself, she quiz herself with flashcards with various terminologies but it's difficult to concentrate when her stomach's doing flips while she wait for the doorbell to signal Derek's arrival.

It's fifteen minutes since the phone call when she finally hear the ring and she hurry over to the door to open it. Derek greets her with his trademark grin as he enters her apartment, backpack swung over his shoulder. "Hi Mer. Long time no see."

"Hi," she manage a smile. "Long time no see."

He kissed her cheek upon going in her apartment. She froze and she can feel the heat spread through her body her cheeck being extremly hot from the kiss. Her heart beating rapidly. Derek always kisses her cheek but this was definitely the first time she felt like this.

He takes his shoes off and hangs his coat by the entranceway of her bedroom slash living room before making his way to the dining area. He unloads his backpack and places his own textbook and notes for the final exam on the table across hers before taking a seat. "So," Derek prompts. "Where are you in terms of the revision?"

"Um…I'm reviewing the material for mature development now. What about you?"

"Really? Me too!" He starts searching through his textbook for the corresponding chapter. "Hm…should we do the practice quiz at the end of the chapter first and then work backwards?"

"That's fine with me." She answers, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat back to normal. Meredith chide herself to concentrate; she had a final exam to pass in a few days and that was more important. Fortunately for her, there's distance between her and Derek and he's busily reading the words of the first practice question.

The next two hours are quiet, the only sounds coming from their pen and highlighters on paper and the sound of pages turning. From across the table, Derek lets out a loud sigh as he stretches in his seat from sitting down for so long. Meredith look up, watching him run his fingers through his hair to move the strands out of his eyes.

"Let's take a break," she suggest, closing her textbook before pushing her chair back to get up. "Do you want to have a snack?"

He brightens up at the idea. "You got me at the mention of snack. What do you have?"

Meredith open the fridge and locate the mostly-untouched box of assorted cheesecake slices. "There's cheesecake, we can eat that. I'll make hot chocolate too."

In less than ten minutes, she make her staple hot chocolate recipe for two and set up the table for their short snack time. Derek chooses the regular coffee cheesecake while Meredith choose the strawberry slice. She slowly start to dig into the slice, her fork delicately separating small pieces.

Her hand reaches for her mug of hot chocolate and take a sip of her drink, her gaze rising to watch Derek. His head's turned to the left; one hand holding onto the fork while the other is on his phone, typing away. Her eyes watch him under the cover of drinking her hot chocolate; observing the way he gazes down at his phone with gentle eyes, the way the corners of his lips twitch upwards in amusement, the way he puckers up in concentration as he types a message with one hand.

Instead of returning to studying for her anatomy exam, she find herself studying him.

Something's different and she can't seem to pinpoint it. She's not sure if it's the lighting in her apartment playing tricks on her sight or maybe she needed a stronger prescription for her reading glasses but it seemed as though her eyes could only focus on him and everything else was a blur. Something's changed since she last saw Derek; something was now rendering her heart to race a little faster, a warm and tingly feeling to bloom in her chest –

"You know I don't charge if you stare at me like that, right?" Derek says, his voice cutting into her thoughts. He gives her a slight tilt of his head, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Heat rises to her cheeks. _how long have i been staring at him?_ and she immediately stare down at her cheesecake, intently focused as she pry a piece from the slice with her fork.

As the two of them return to preparing for the anatomy exam, she find herself studying him more than she should and that warm feeling in her chest returns.

 **I think you guys know what happens next ;) i will have 2 chapters on their relationship and an epilogue. My original story only have 6 chapters but i extend the romance part since i know you guys have been waiting for it.**

 **Thanks for the reviews! It really motivates me.**


	6. Confession

Meredith finish her anatomy final at 2:50 in the afternoon, ten minutes until the invigilators and the professor declared the end of the exam. It was surprisingly easy, maybe even _too_ easy. Her pencil was unstoppable as she answered the questions with great clarity and she was confident that she was going to ace the exam. She close the door of the exam hall behind her quietly as to not disturb the students finishing up their exams and find herself facing Derek.

He finished his exam a little bit earlier than her and he's leaning against the wall, hands stuffed in the pockets of his gray wool coat. _i never knew leaning could look that good, is that even legal?_ Derek straightens up when he sees her emerge from the exam and he holds out his arm for a high-five.

Her hand makes contact with his and he grins brightly. "We did it! It's over!"

Meredith nod, smiling back. "That went surprisingly better than I thought."

"Really? I thought it was tricky in some parts but yeah, I guess it could've been worse."

"Well we're finally done," he affirms. "Now let's go have fun!"

"Hm?"

Derek explains. "The Christmas Market is finally open at five o'clock. Why don't we go get some food and then go shopping to celebrate our freedom?"

"Ah," she pause to think. She doesn't have plans, other than to roll up in her blanket burrito and watch the dramas she's been saving for the break. But she feel the urge and need to spend time with him, and she look up at Derek, that heart-racing feeling returning as she smile. "Sure. Let's go."

The Christmas Market is located by the park in the river and was one of the popular winter-related events. There were various food stalls, vendors, displays, and street performers in the area every year. To top off the festivities in the area was a giant Christmas tree by the water fountains, elaborately decorated with lights and baubles and an enormous gold star at its top. The tree always lit up at six in the evening, making it an anticipated event.

She's only been there once; it was usually too cold for her liking to go so she usually did her Christmas shopping online. Today was no exception; while the winds were calmer today, it was slightly chilly and she shiver into her blanket scarf as she and Derek step out of his parked car and into the vicinity of the Christmas Market. While it had been warmer and bearable earlier in the day, the temperature dropped a bit since then and she curse herself for leaving her mitts at home.

Derek notices her trying to shove her hands into the pockets of her coat and he extends his hand out to her. Meredith gaze up at him in curiosity, not quite sure what he was trying to convey. "Der?"

"Your hand," was all he says and she blink. Meredith slowly place her right hand on top of his, not anticipating what was going to happen next. Derek turns over his hand and links his fingers with hers, tugging her closer to him. She blush at the sudden actions, feeling him give her hand a squeeze before tucking their intertwined hands into the pocket of his coat.

"Der?!" She squeak, cheeks burning red. "What are you –"

"Whoa, your hand's cold!" Derek comments lightheartedly. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat first! That exam made me hungry."

Derek leads the way, humming cheerily and she follow beside him, eyes still on him. Her cheeks are red, her heart's racing, and there's a tingly feeling in her stomach. Derek had always been affectionate while the two of them were growing up; he was always linking arms with her, ruffling her hair, and pulling her into one-armed hugs while walking beside one another. Skinship was practically second nature in their friendship, something she's grown accustomed to. Yet the sensation of her hand in his big, warm one elicited a foreign feeling, similar to nervousness but excitement at the same time.

Dinner is spent at a cozy café near the river and she enjoy a hearty burger with a generous serving of fries to reward herself after the exam. Shopping follows after once her stomachs are full and she and Derek walk through the paths lined with various vendors selling their wares and stopping now and then to examine what they were selling.

However everything feels like a blur and she can only focus on Derek and how close he was. Her hand somehow returns in his coat pocket, their fingers intertwined once more. She doesn't recall how and when their hands make contact after leaving the café but she find herself growing accustomed to the warm sensation.

Since there was still ten minutes till the Christmas tree was scheduled to light up, Meredith and Derek decide to grab hot chocolates from the nearby coffee shop giving them away for free. The warm drinks come in medium-sized cups with whipped cream and chocolate shavings at the top. Her hands wrap around the cup, feeling the heat seep through as she and Derek find an empty bench near the dim Christmas tree.

"How long till this thing lights up?" She ask.

"In about five minutes," Derek answers. "Pretty soon!"

"Huh." Meredith stare down at her hot chocolate, trying to figure out the best way to drink it without getting whipped cream all over herself. However, she decide to forego a strategy and just drink from the cup how she usually do, getting some of the whipped topping on her lips. "This drink is so messy, jeez. They should've given us lids." She comment, running her tongue over her upper lip to clean up the excess.

"Hey, they gave it out for free, so…" he points out.

"I know, but this is a bad idea for a drink with whipped cream." Meredith half-consider wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her coat but it would be a pain to run it through the wash if she does so. She's about to set down her backpack on the ground to search for tissues in its depths when Derek extends his free hand to cup and turn her face to his direction.

Meredith stare at him. He's suddenly close – closer than she'd expect that she can see her reflection in his blue eyes and she feel a warm press of his lips on hers.

It's soft and warm and sweet all at once, leaving her stunned and breathless. Derek pulls away, her lips still tingling from the contact and she finally remember to breathe as he gives her his familiar grin that soon morph to a dreamy smile.

"I'm in love with you," he says, his voice soft but serious.

 _Oh_.

With those five words, everything finally makes sense, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place.

It finally makes sense why something felt different during the past few weeks. It finally makes sense why she felt warm and tingly and nervous whenever he was around. It finally makes sense why it was only him that she could see, even with so much people around.

It finally makes sense to her, that somewhere along the way of knowing him for 20 years, she stopped seeing him as a friend.

She had _fallen_ for him.That's how special he was to her and it finally makes sense after all this time.

Derek's looking into her eyes, hopeful and waiting for her response. Meredith feel his hand still on her cheek and she place her free hand on top of his. "Well…I'm in love with you too," she answer, shyly. "I think."

He chuckles at the addition. "You think?"

"Mmm."

"Then…" Derek leans in a little bit closer that their noses are touching. "What do you think about going out with me?"

Meredith smile, feeling shy and tingly and warm and thrilled all at once. "I think it's a yes from me."

She doesn't notice the Christmas tree lighting up in front of them as she feel his lips on hers once again.

"I think i like winter afterall"

 ** _I'm all warm and mushy and giddy writing this chapter. So how do you like it. I can imagine the perfect scene while writing it, and i'm all for bright and shiny MerDer. There will be no angst._**

 ** _Love and Review!_**


	7. Ruined

Meredith cautiously cross the snow-filled quad, cursing in her mind at the never-ending winter. For the past few days, there had been a continuous streak of warm weather that she encouraged her to abandon her additional warm layers. Yet last night betrayed her; the temperatures dropped and it even _snowed_. Meredith find herself back in her usual layers, shivering at how cold the air was. She urge herself to walk faster to reach her destination so she can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate.

An arm wraps around her shoulders and she cry out in surprise at the weight, whirling around. Derek grins down at her in greeting and kisses her briefly. "Hi, Mer!"

"Derek!" She hiss, smacking his arm with her tiny ineffectual fists. "This is the second time!"

Derek laughs, pulling her to his chest for a hug. He smelled fresh, woodsy and _Derek-y_ but not too overpowering, warm and comforting as usual. However, he pulls away briefly and she suddenly miss how snug he was. Derek's eyes examine her in her warm layers: hat, and scarf, and all. "Cold?" He prompts.

Meredith huff. "As usual."

Derek proceeds to hug her tightly and tucks her head under his chin. She can practically feel the warmth radiating from him as he asks, "how about now?"

A smile tugs on her lips and she wrap her arms around him. "Better."

It was a cold season but it was warmer with Derek by her side. Maybe she didn't hate winter that much after all.

0000

"So you guys are dating now?" Mark exclaimed loudly as both of them entered the room hand-in-hand. Making all 6 set of eyes turned to look at them.

"Yep" Derek smiled widely and kissed Meredith's forehead making her blush again.

Mark grinned "It's about damn time Shep made it happen" followed by a nod and smiles by the others in the room.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Meredith asked confused.

"He has been in love with you forever it's sickening" Cristina mocked but the happy glint in her eyes available. She will never admit this but she was happy to see her friends being together. One that obviously in love with eachother.

"You have?" She turned to Derek to watch his face. He broke into an embarassed smile and nod "I have been since high school"

"Why didn't you say anything then?" She pouted.

Shrugging he just said simply "I didn't have the courage to"

"You both have been in love with eachother for God knows how long and everyone can see that" Alex grinned.

"Everyone except them" Cristina chimed.

A chorus of 'True's can be heard among the group.

They just smiled at eachother and sat on the chairs in the room. Both of them and the rest of their group that includes Mark, Izzie, George, Owen, Alex, Cristina and Burke are gathered in a secluded room in a cafe to celebratr Cristmas and their exams that are finally done.

All of their friends teased them all through the party making them embarassed but that's just what friends do so they just go with it. Even when they teases and mock them about it they know that all of them are happy for them. Even Cristina approves her relationship with Derek. Izzie gave them both a hug and gush around about them being the "best couple ever" and "i'm so happy for you guys".

Derek and Meredith told his Mom about their relationship and Carolyn Shepherd have never been heard so happy across the phone when they told her they're together. She said, Meredith quoted that she's so "Happy for both of you and i know you guys will end up with eachother, you've been in love for so long" and that made Both of them especially Meredith to think about how obvious it is for other people to see that both of them are in love with eachother.

 _"i love you" Derek said to her again and kissed her softly. They're walking back hand-in-hand to her apartment after their love confession under the christmas tree._

 _She smiled at him and said softly "i love you too"_

 _His smile widened "You can't believe how my heart still skipped a beat when you say that"_

 _"Cheesy" she rolled her eyes at him playfully._

 _He pretend to be offended "what? it's true! you have no idea how long i've always wanted you to say that to me" He pulled her to him and dipped her down to give her a slow sensual kiss that made her heart flutter and not caring that they're in the middle of the street. He pulled away smiling leaving her breathless._

 _"You know you've been my boyfriend for like what- an hour? and you're already touch and kissy." She joked and nudged him with her elbow. "Not that i mind though" she add softly._

 _"I happen to like kissing you. I'm all for the kissing. More kissing i say" he chuckled and kiss her once again._

 _Meredith can't believe how much she love the feel of Derek's lips on hers. They've just been together but she never felt this strong for anybody before. Derek can just make her weak in the knees with just a smile._

 _She swing their intertwined hands and thought out loud "So you're my bestfriend who is now my Boyfriend. Does that means i no longer have a Bestfriend?" Her eyebrows raised._

 _Derek laughed and kissed her forehead "I'm still your bestfriend, you will alwasy be my bestfriend. Nothing's changed just the title and the fact that now i can kiss you whenever i want" he pecked her lips._

 _"okay. i like that."_

 _"And the good part is that we've been through the Get-to-know you phase since i've known you practically my whole life and you already know all about me"_

 _"Now that you say that, it is good no awkward first dates then" she mused while reaching her apartment and unlocked the front door._

 _"And you know what else i always wanted to do with you?" Derek asked after hanging their coats and took off their shoes and inched closer to her._

 _"Mmm what?"_

 _He didn't answer but just grabbed her and kissed her passionately. One hand on her hips and the other cupping her face. She stilled at the sudden act but soon melted and reciprocate the kiss moaning when his tounge battled with hers._

 _"Mer" He moaned as one of his hand tangled in her hair and he pushed her backwards towards the wall. Her hand circled his neck and played with his hair her mind going black as the feel of his mouth on hers._

 _"Derek" she moaned again when his mouth went down to kiss her neck and her colar bone and his hands going underneath her sweater._

 _He pulled back suddenly upon realizing what's gonna happen next._

 _"Mer, i really wan't to but.." his eyes searching hers for hesitation but she just took his face in her hands and kissed him hard._

 _He pulled away again, breathless "Mer, Are you sure? I don't wanna do anything against your will"_

 _"Derek. Just Shut up and take me to bed" She said panting hard._

 _Derek didn't answer her and just picked her up in his arms, swinging her legs around his waist and carried her to her bedroom. His mouth never leaving hers._

A few hours past of them chatting up with their friends and they finnally said goodbyes and partways with their friends.

They walked yet again hand-in-hand to go back to her apartment.

"This year is gonna be our last year in college before Med-School." Derek said cracking the comfortable silence between them.

"Yeah. Are you sure you're going neuro?" Meredith ask looking at him.

"Yup i always wanted to be a Neurosurgeon and the brain Amazes me" He smled.

"Mmm" She went silent for a while.

"Hey penny your thoughts" Derek said after seeing her so quiet and definitely thinking of something.

Meredith looked up at him and met his eyes. His eyes gave out a comfortable and warm gaze everytime. She shrugg "I don't know. I was just thinking of changing. You know how i said i was going to cardio right because i want to stay out of general as much as i could so i won't be judged by my Mother's shadow"

Derek nodded and encouraged her to continue.

"I was thinking about going neuro"

Derek looked at her quickly and broke into the largest grin she has seen so far. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, Cardio is not for me. I don't love and i don't get the thrill at learning about hearts so far as much as Cristina and Burke love it. Cardio just doesn't go well for me." She swung their hands in the air.

"So you're going Neuro? That means i'll get more time with you?" Derek asks still happy about it.

"Yeah The brains amazes me too. And the you part is just the bonus" She winked at him and all of the sudden he pulled her into a hug and kissed her. Seems that her decision really makes him happy.

"Were on Neuro!" He exclaimed happily after letting her go from the hug and continue their walk.

"Yep and i blamed my decision on you. You ruined me Derek Shepherd"

He smirked at her "How did i ruin you? Neuro's good"

"It's not just that" She rolled her eyes playfully. "I came to like winter now because of you and that means you clearly _ruined_ me Derek Shepherd" She fake pouted at him which he thinks made her adorably cute.

"I actually helped you get over your hate of winter" He smirked.

"Ass" she bumped her hips to his.

"Hey don't call your boyfriend an ass." He feigned a hurt look at her.

"Well then i should just break up with you so i can call you one" she mumbled.

"You wouldn't do that!" Derek exclaimed "You love me. Anyway, you wouldn't want to break up with me...then you won't have a boyfriend to hang out with"

"Oh i could find another boyfriend, there's plenty good looking ones on campus" she shrugged.

Derek then pulled Meredith to an empty hallways and used his arm to pull Meredit's face to his. As their lips clashed he took her bottom lip with his teeth, sucking on it lightly before thrusting his tongue into the warm cavern of his mouth. He smirked against her lips as he heard her moaned softly. "You couldn't find someone to do that" he smiled triumphantly kissing her one more time and pulled them out of the hallways. Walking away ahead of her he looked back at her still shocked body and smirked again noticing the flustered look on her face.

"You coming?" He asked.

Meredith just shook her head and smiled walking fast to catch up with him and linked her arm on the croock if his elbow. Putting her head down on his shoulders. Snuggling up with him while walking through the cold December air.

 **Reviews makes me happy ;)**

 **So just 1 more episode then the epilogue.**

 **Thankyou Patsy for the constant reviews!**

 **And oh i just wanna say that i have a new Grey's page on Instagram @greys.moodboards check it out if you want. Thanks again for the support!**


	8. Warm Winter

Snow are falling down above them as they started to walk a block from Meredith's apartment. Delicate white snow falling onto their heads.

"It's snowing" Derek said looking up at the sky still holding Meredith's gloved hands in his. She had insisted to wear a full warm clothing ready to battle the cold winter air. She wore a shirt doubled with a lavender sweater and a winter coat on top. Complete with a scarf, gloves and a beanie hat with long boots on top her jeans. Some people might say it's weird to be fully geared like she is but Derek just finds her absolute dislike towards winter cold Adorably cute. Maybe he's just _biased_ though.

"Yeah i know it is. White ice is falling on top of us and even a baby would know it's snowing. I don't need you to point that out" She remarked in a sarcastic tone shivering at the cold. She _knew_ it would snow since the moment she woke up that day. And it's freaking cold for her which made her supposed-to-be happy mood reverse.

Derek chuckeld at her remark and just turn her around to face him. He smile at her tightening scarf and putting her beanie in place to make her warmer then proceeds to kiss her forehead.

Meredith smiles at his act. The caring side of him just makes her heart swell with love for him. "Thanks" she said softly looking up at him meeting his warm bright blue eyes.

She then notice the white snow on his hair and reached up to rub it off his hair. Derek's smile got bigger when she does that. Meredith dug through her bag and pulled out his beanie hat.

"I brought this along cuz i know it's gonna snow" She put the dark gray beanie to his head and put it on him smoothing his hair first. After successfully putting it on him he smile adoringly at her.

"thankyou" he kissed her lips softly.

"Although it's not that cold though" Derek added.

"It's cold for me. And atleast pretend that it is" She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not cold" he smirked. Teasing her is fun.

She huff and pouted, continuing their walk to the park.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He laughed wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She ignores him and pouted even more.

"Hey no pouting. It's our 1 year anniversary" He said happily squeazing her sceeks and kissed it lovingly.

Meredith broke into a smile. "i love you" she said intertwining their fingers together.

"i love you too"

It's been a year since they have been together as a couple. A year since their first kiss under the christmas tree. A year since they proffessed love for each other. And it's been an amazing year. Meredith have never been more inlove with Derek than ever. Over the year she fell in love with Derek again and again. Sure, they've shared their fair share of up and downs but that only made them stronger than ever as a couple. In short, they've made a pretty good team as a couple like they always have as bestfriends. Just a few months until graduation and they will go off to med school. Together.

And today, 1 year ago they've become a couple under the christmas tree at dawn. To celebrate their anniversary, they're going on a date and will re-act their date that day. First going to a cafe as they did a year ago. They spent quite a long time there, just talking, reminicing their past, sharing their feelings.

"You know, around this time last year. I have no intentions on proffessing my love to you" Derek confess.

Meredith gave him a pointed look. "Really? all this time i thought you've planned the whole day to say that" She chuckled at the end. "Guess i was wrong. So what brings you to say it?"

He shrugs "I guess the moment's just perfect. You just sit there drinking your coffee and i just had to tell you. And i no longer can resist the urge to kiss you that time, so i did and it was perfect." He smiles Lovingly at her. Reminicing the feeling alo over again.

"It is" Meredith smiles back to him.

It was about 5.30 pm when they arrived at the park. They stroll the park together. Content being with each other. They went around the park one time and Stopped in front of the Christmas tree that is yet to light up. It was a little over 5 more minutes until the tree light up at 6 pm.

Derek stopped and pulled her hand making her went back into his open arns and he kissed her lips. Pulling away, Meredith asks "what was that for?"

Smiling, he tuck a stray of her golden locks behind her ear, gazing lovingly at her "That was for our anniversary"

"It's not even 6 yet" She chuckled.

"Yeah but i need to give you something" He whispered and reached into the pocket of his winter coat.

"Derek..." She whispered.

"Shhh...wait" He laughed.

He opened his hand, and neatly placed in the middle sat a tiny red box. He watched her as she shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

"Derek.." she whispered.

"I said wait.." he chuckled again.

Carefully, he lowered himself onto one knee, his eyes still looking up at her as she kept her eyes on his. "You can't cry when i do this.." he whispered.

"Derek.." She whispered, giggling between her tears as she shook her head, her hand coming up to her mouth as she watched his eyes sparkle playfully.

"Meredith" he whispered.

"Where we are right now, is where we started this realtionship. I ofcourse thought over and over again how i wanted you more than just a friend. i'd though about telling you again and again but it was then when i kissed you that i realized how deeply i've fallen for you. That was 1 year ago today. Our relationship is completely different now but one thing that never changed is the fact that i l Love You. And i need you in my life, with me, forever. I want to settle down and grow old with you. I wanna die when i'm 110 in your arms. I wan't a lifetime with you." He takes a deep breath.

"So i won't ask you a question i just wanna say. Marry Me. I love you and Marry me Meredith Grey. And spend the rest of your life with me." He finished and look up at her tears filled eyes as she held a hand over her mouth.

Meredith nodded, tears flowing freely down her face. "Yes I'll marry you" She finally said between tears.

A big grin appears on Derek fave as he took the ring out of the box and put it on her left ring finger. A perfect fit. He stood up and gather her in his arms kissing her passionately.

They pulled away and Meredith hug him tighter. "I love you. I love you. I love you" She said.

"God, i love you so much, Mrs. Shepherd" he said.

She pulled away and chuckled at that "Der, i'm not Mrs. Shepherd"

"But you are going to be" Derek held her in his arms as she let her head rest on his chest. He circles his arms around her waist protectively as he swayed them both gently. "i will be the best husband and the best father, Mer. I won't promise but i know i will."

She smiles as she closed her eyes. "I know you will. You are the best boyfriend to start with. And the best bestfriend."

Derek smiled as he pulled away but still her her in his arms. He kissed her forehead lovingly, then her closed eyes, her cheeks, then her nose. He paused as he stared at her lips. Meredith opened her eyes only to see him staring.

"I love you very much." and with that, his soft lips touched hers ever so gently. Meredith closed her eyes again as she circled her arms around his neck. The christmas tree shining bright beside them. White snow falling slowly. She kissed him back and she felt his amrs pulling her head closer as he deepened the kiss. By now, his fingers were on her cheeks stroking them.

She pulled away as they both were almost out of breath. "I love you too" she said.

They both returned the hug as Derek ended it with a kiss on her forehead.

"I like winter. I really, really love it."

Winter may be cold, but with Derek at her side, it makes everything warmer. There's no longer cold winters, there's only warm winter.

THE END

 ** _Epilogue coming up tomorrow! Stay tuned! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou fir the support and the reviews for this story. It's not much but i really really appreciate it. I hope you guys like the ending and i'm currently writing the epilogue precisely and hope it will be perfect. I will write more stories so wait for it, along with one shots!_**

 ** _So Follow, Favourite, Read, Reviews! See you guys in the next stories!_**

 ** _Sincerely, Valerie_**


	9. Epilogue

**Yes this is the last chapter...Thankyou for the patience on the epilogue. Here it is as promised. I tried my best to make it perfect - the words from the pastor are from the actual wedding ceremony of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I found it in my reserch for wedding vows and loved it and it is perfect to be used here.**

 **A big thanks to all of you reading and reviewing alobg the way. Even though it is not a long story and i still need nore practice in writing. I appreciate your support and will love if you wait for my New upcoming stories along with Oneshots.**

 **W A R M W I N T E R**

Today is the day.

Today is the day, she, Meredith Grey, is getting married to the guy of her dreams. Her person. Her bestfriend.

She woke up early today feeling the anticipation of what would come today. She will be a married woman at the end of this day. She is going to be Derek's wife.

The air was upbeat and optimistic. This was a happy day.

And Meredith couldn't breathe.

Her hair was done and her make up was flawless, thanks to a combined effort and help from Nancy and Izzie. Her dress is perfect, it's simple and it hugged her curves at the right spots. Cristina and Izzie is waiting for her downstairs for her to show up, any minute. Cristina had told her not to run, and if she really want's to, she had the getaway car ready. Meredith rolled her eyes at that one and promised her she will not run. Everything was ready. And yet, she couldn't breathe.

She paced lightly, clutching her bouquette. She reminded herself that this is Derek. She is marrying her best friend. the love of her life. She replay all of their latest confersations, his proposal, their confession. It made her realize that she can do it, as long as it is with Derek, she can do it. She stopped pacing. She took slow deep breaths.

With a last deep breath, she wen't downstairs and stepped out. A wave of calm wash over her now that she actually walking downstairs. Izzie and Cristina had just walked out. She turned towards the door and to the mass of people gathered at the backyard, but she didn't see any of them.

She didn't see the relieved look on Izzie's and Cristina's face

She didn't see the supportive look on their friend's face.

She didn't see the warm smiles from his family. _Her_ _family_

She didn't see the encouraging smirk on Mark's facr.

All she saw was Derek.

They locked eyes and suddenly she was moving towards him without any conscious input. She didn't notice the bumps on the ground. She didn't pay attention to the smiles on the guest's face. She didn't notice the flashes from the cameras as she made her way down the aisle.

All she saw was Derek. His brilliant shining bright blue eyes were holding hers hostage.

At this moment, she lived and breathed for him. And at this moment she just needed to get to him. She only have a few moment left before she was his wife.

She reached the end of the aisle and Derek took her hand in his and pulled her next to him. Mouthing an 'i love you' to her. She replied to him, matching his big smile as they turned towards the pastor.

"Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In the Art of Marriage,the little things are the big things…

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,

it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the crowd.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation

and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding

and asense of humor.

It is having the capicity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each cangrow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,

dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best."

Meredith focused on Derej as the priest kept talking. Taking in his appearance in a tux. He looks good. She got her focur back when the Pastor told them it is time for the vows.

"Marriage is not a legal document. No Pastor, priest or justice of the peace can create a marriage because a marriage, truly, is nothing except the promises made and kept by two individuals. Today, Derek and Meredith stood before us to publicly declare their love and to share with us their marriage promises. Derek has been requested to fo first."

Derek took both of her hands in his and look at her eyes directly. A million emotions playing around. He took a deep breath and start.

"I've known you for a long time, Meredith Grey, ever since you first approached me at kindergarten when i was too afraid to go in alone. You are the most incredible woman i've ever met. You're strong, you have the talents of 5 surgeons grouped together but you work harder than 10 of them combined at school. I love you, Mer. I love everything about you. From the pouting you that hates winter, to the happy you when eating icecream, From your beautiful face to your extraordinary soul. I especially love your smile, your laugh, your giggle. All of them, from the playful grin you have whenever you tease me to the shy quirk of your lips whenever i get too cheesy. But most of all, i love your distinctive Meredith smile. The one you make when you talk about your good day at school, about our friends, the one you maks when i dropped on one knee and proposed you." Meredith smiled brightly at his last comment.

"Yes, that smile right there. That's my favourite smile. I think you're special Mer, and even though you're making a face at me right now, you think i'm special too. You are my person, my bestfriend, the love of my life. So today, I'm here ti take you as my wife, to promise the world that no matter what happens in life, i'll always treasure you, love you and i'll do whatever it takes to keep you smiling like that for the rest of our eternity."

Tears are falling freely on Meredith's face when he finished his vows. He took his right hand ti her cheeck and brushed away the tears with his tumb. Kissing her temple afterwards.

Meredith brushed away the remaining tears and took a few deep breaths.

"Derek, i've never told you this, but i realized i was in love with you the day you took me ice skating almost 3 years ago. You're one of the best things that ever happened to me and i really don't know where i would be right now without you. I would be all dark and twisty if it weren't for you. I'm not good with my emotions, i used to lock it inside. But you nrver once push me to do anything i'm not comfortable with. You are always so patient with me, you understand me, you understand me sometimes better than how i understand myself. I still remember, long before we started hanging out as best friends, during out 1st grade. I was lonely, i ran away from home after fighting with my mother. You found me hiding underneath the slide at the park. You sat beside me, took my hand and offered me to go to your house. I was scared as hell at that time, but you said " _Don't worry, I'm here for you"._ And it was honestly the first time someone had cared for me. You gave me a family that night" She said glancing at the Shepherds that gathered there. "A mother that took care of me" Smiling at Carolyn Shepher wo were dabbing her eyes. "Sisters to play with" glancing at Nancy, Kathleen, Elizabeth and Amelia Shepherd who smiled back at her. "And a brother to protect me" She smirked at Mark then to Derek. "You gave me a family that will love me unconditionally. I love you, even if you're the cheesiest person on this planet- and you are. You're my person; My soulmate, the love of my life, my bestfriend and i'd love to spend the rest of my life with you as my husband."

Derek bit back tears as she finished and smiled up at him.

The pastor smiled at them and continued.

"Do you, Derek Shepherd, take Meredith Grey to be your lawfully wedder wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

Derek smiled, his eyes filling with tears "I do"

"Do you, Meredith Grey, take Derek Shepherd to be your lawfully wedder husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" Meredith whispered confidently as a few tears escaped her eyes.

They exchanged wedding bands, nit breaking each other's eye conctact.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride"

Derek wasted no time and pulled Meredith to his arms kissung her passionately. Cheers and Applause erupted as they watch the newlywed kissed. They pulled away moments later breathless.

"You're my wife" He said breathless.

"Yes and you're my husband" she giggled.

"Finally"

They turned to the guests that beamed at them. All of the sudden, Derek lifts Meredith up into his arms She shrieked in surprise her arms going around his neck.

"Derek! what are you doing" She giggled furiously. Joined by the mass of people watching their exchange and waiting patiently to congratulate them.

"Just carrying my _Wife_ down the isle" He smiled cheekily at her.

"Mmm wife, i like sound of that." She kissed him lightly.

"I can't wait for the wedding night" He said nibbing at her earlobe.

"Derek! Patient!" She laughed shoving his mouth away.

"Fine" He walked them down the aisle slowly while being congratulated by their family and friends.Camera Flashes around them.

"I love you Mrs. Shepherd" Derek whispered and kissed her again.

She smiled against his lips. "I love you yoo Mr. Shepherd"

He carried her the rest if the altar and brought her inside as the first snow dropped. Making this the best winter they will have.


End file.
